Welcoming Migrants with Dignity
Holistic Support for Migrants and Asylum Seekers Arriving in Southern California
Launched in 2023, the Welcoming Project provides holistic and dignified welcome for migrants, asylum seekers, and noncitizens arriving in Southern California, with a focus on the greater Los Angeles area and Los Angeles County. Our team helps individuals understand their rights, access essential resources, and begin building stability in their new communities. As part of our immigrant rights and legal support services, we believe that no migrant should stand alone when arriving in a new home. This program helps newly arrived migrants and asylum seekers navigate the U.S. immigration system, understand their legal rights under U.S. immigration law, and access community-based immigrant support services while settling into a new community. These services became an official project in response to increased instances of anti-immigrant state governments transporting and/or busing migrants to California, which created an urgent need for immigration legal guidance, humanitarian support, and migrant integration services.
Supporting Migrants with Essential Knowledge and Services
The Welcoming Project provides a comprehensive set of services designed to help migrants and asylum seekers safely orient themselves in the United States:
Legal Education & Immigration Guidance.
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Community legal education workshops
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Know‑your‑rights presentations
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Immigration legal consultations
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Pro se application assistance
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Triage legal services for urgent immigration needs
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Referrals to trusted nonprofit immigration attorneys and legal service providers
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Reducing Barriers to Counsel
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Our goal is simple: ensure every migrant has a fair chance to participate in their immigration case and access trusted legal counsel.
We aim to reduce some of the systemic barriers that prevent migrants and asylum seekers from accessing immigration legal representation and participating fully in their immigration court proceedings. Many migrants face obstacles such as lack of legal information, language barriers, and limited access to immigration attorneys.
Moreover, the project helps clients staying in Los Angeles County obtain free or low-cost immigration legal services by registering eligible individuals for the RepresentLA program, which provides free legal representation for immigrants facing deportation in Los Angeles immigration court. When necessary, we also provide referrals to qualified private immigration attorneys and nonprofit immigration legal organizations to ensure that migrants can obtain trusted legal counsel and deportation defense support.
Supporting Migrants with Essential Knowledge and Services
The Welcoming Project provides a comprehensive set of services designed to help migrants and asylum seekers safely orient themselves in the United States:
Legal Education & Immigration Guidance.
-
Community legal education workshops
-
Know‑your‑rights presentations
-
Immigration legal consultations
-
Pro se application assistance
-
Triage legal services for urgent immigration needs
-
Referrals to trusted nonprofit immigration attorneys and legal service providers
Supporting Migrants with Essential Knowledge and Services
We help migrants understand and access California’s immigrant‑inclusive benefits, including:
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Medi‑Cal healthcare coverage
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California driver’s licenses for immigrants
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Local immigrant support programs in Los Angeles County
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Community‑based food, housing, and social service resources
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By equipping migrants with accurate legal information and essential services, we help them build stability, pursue lawful immigration pathways, and work toward financial independence.
ImmDef provides free legal representation and resources for people in immigration removal proceedings. We assist clients in the Welcoming Program with:
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Work permits ( (Employment Authorization Documents)
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Asylum or humanitarian protection under U.S. immigration law is a crucial step toward preserving lawful immigration pathways
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Employment opportunities to work toward financial independence
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Improving access to stable housing
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Food security
Training Frontline Service Providers
The Welcoming Project also strengthens the broader support network for migrants by offering immigration law trainings for:
Case managers
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Nonprofit service providers
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Shelter staff working with migrant and asylum-seeking populations.
These trainings help frontline service providers better understand immigration policies, deportation defense issues, and the legal challenges faced by migrants, enabling them to more effectively support and advocate for this community.
Welcoming Project
